title: Humoral immune response after post-chemotherapy booster diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis vaccine in pediatric oncology patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The role of post-chemotherapy booster vaccination in pediatric oncology children remains to be established. In this randomized controlled study, we studied the effect of immune responses to diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis (DTP) booster vaccination in children 6 months after completing chemotherapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Children 1-18 years old with chemotherapy completed for 6 months (baseline) were eligible. Subjects were randomized into vaccine and control group. In the former, three doses of DTP vaccine (Aventis Pasteur Inc., Lyon, France) were administered. IgG antibody titers against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, hepatitis B, measles, mumps, and rubella antibodies were measured serially in vaccine and control groups. Subsets of circulating lymphocytes (CD3(+), CD4(+), CD8(+), CD19(+), and CD16/56(+)) were quantified by flow cytometry using fluorescence-labeled monoclonal antibodies.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fifty-six children (28 vaccinees; 28 controls) were enrolled. Protective antibody levels against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis were found at baseline in 83.6%, 96.5%, 96.1% of them respectively. After three doses of DTP, all vaccinees demonstrated a sustain rise in antibody levels and the antibody titers were significantly higher than control group. 35.8% of subjects were susceptible to measles mumps and rubella infection and 69% showed anti-HBs antibody titer less than protective level up to 18 months after stopping chemotherapy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Post-chemotherapy booster vaccinations produced a strong and sustained effect in humoral immunity against vaccine-preventable infectious diseases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Prince of Wales Hospital, The Chinese University of Hong Kong. Hong Kong. frankiecheng@cuhk.edu.hk
authors.forename: Frankie Wai Tsoi
authors.initials: FW
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: Ting Fan
authors.initials: TF
authors.lastname: Leung
authors.forename: Paul Kay Sheung
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: Vincent
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Ming Kong
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Shing
authors.forename: Ki Wai
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Chik
authors.forename: Patrick Man Pan
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Yuen
authors.forename: Chi Kong
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000906:Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D000917:Antibody Formation / Q000187:drug effects*; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015721:Diphtheria-Tetanus-Pertussis Vaccine / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007117:Immunization, Secondary; D007223:Infant; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets
chemical_list: D000906:Antibodies; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D015721:Diphtheria-Tetanus-Pertussis Vaccine